1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wireless networks, and, more particularly, to bandwidth management in a wireless network.
2. Description of the Related Art
A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is a flexible data communications system that can either replace or extend a wired LAN to provide added functionality. A traditional, wired local area network (LAN) sends packets of data from one piece of equipment to another across cables or wires. A WLAN relies instead upon radio waves to transfer data. Data is superimposed onto a radio wave through a process called modulation, and this carrier wave then acts as the transmission medium, taking the place of a wire.
The usefulness of WLAN technology, however, goes beyond just the absence of wires. The advent of the WLAN opens up a whole new definition of what a network infrastructure can be. No longer does an infrastructure need to be solid and fixed, difficult to move, and expensive to change. Instead, it can move with the user and change as fast as the organization does. For example, business people can stay connected as they move throughout the corporate campus, easily tapping into the resources of the wired network.
Wireless Local Area Network technology has been targeted by analysts as one of the fastest growing sectors in the computing industry. WLANs are used in various vertical and horizontal applications (e.g., retail, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, education, public space, etc.). A variety of wireless network standards have become popular, including the 802.11x standards that have been ratified by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE). Exemplary IEEE 802.11x standards include 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b (also known as Wi-Fi), and 802.11g.
Recently, there has been a surge in the deployment of 802.11-based wireless infrastructure networks especially in public “hot spots” covering airports, hotels, coffee shops, etc. to provide wireless internet access services. In the future, further proliferation of demanding multimedia applications, e.g., music and video streaming, and new location-based services, is expected. Because the 802.11 provides a shared medium to different users, there is a need for bandwidth management to protect the network from abuse and to allocate the available bandwidth according to user needs. Additionally, in the event a few isolated users are taxing network resources unduly due to high incidence of error during signal reception, there may be a need for some corrective measures to be taken to avoid penalizing the other users to maintain their target Quality of Service (QoS).